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Lake House Directors To Be Replaced: Presidential Committee Finds Fault With Editorial Director

The Board of Directors of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL), commonly known as Lake House, is to be replaced soon, informed sources of the government confirmed on Sunday.

Kavan

The current Chairman and the Managing Director of the state-run newspaper company is Kavan Ratnayaka, the elder brother of Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka.

The move to replace the current Board of Directors comes in the wake of the President’s decision to appoint a four-member committee to look into the issues at Lake House. The Committee held its sessions over the past two months, and exchanged views with a number of stakeholders concerning the state run newspaper company.

One of the key recommendations of the committee is that the poor management of the editorial section remains a key issue concerning the company. It has been identified as the main reason for the abysmal performance of the company’s two Sinhala newspapers – Dinamina and Silumina – which have failed to show any progress in terms of sales, under the current management.

Saman Wagaarachchi, current Editorial Director at Lake House, overlooks the editorial management of the company. It is in this context that the committee is to recommend the removal of Wagaarachchi from the current position.

Along with Wagaarachchi, other directors too will be replaced to bring in a new management to the company, several top sources of the government added.

It is learnt that one member of the new board of directors will be nominated by President Maithripala Sirisena. The new member, according to sources close to the President will ensure that the President gets due coverage from the Lake House newspapers.

Ratnayaka has also supported the move, informing the Prime Minister that he has no interest in continuing as the Chairman of the state-run newspaper company.

It is learnt that one member of the new board of directors will be nominated by President Maithripala Sirisena. The new member, according to sources close to the President will ensure that the President gets due coverage from the Lake House newspapers. The President appointed this four-member committee after he received complaints and petitions from various parties, including trade unions, over administrative issues at the Lake House. Former Supreme Court Judge Nimal Dissanayake chaired the committee while Raja Premadasa, V.D. Dahanayake and Chandrasiri Seneviratne functioned as members.

Latest comments

Nic/April 17, 2017

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It is time to replace all stooges of RW who are holding positions in state owned enterprises to be replaced as their only qualification for such office is they share the same sexual orientation as RW and had performed such services in the past when RW had nothing but a two decade and more of loosing streak at National, Provincial and Local Government elections!

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thondamannay/April 17, 2017

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Daham would be a good appointment.
Then can have control over the telecom & media.

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Native Vedda/April 18, 2017

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thondamannay

Wish you a happy Aluth Aurudu. Did you have a good beginning of new year?

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lakmal Jayasinghe/April 18, 2017

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Daham and Chatu should both be appointed so that the entire advertising department will be run from their backyard. God shave the New King

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The Government should not get involved in running businesses. Media, which they manipulate to try and paint a favourable picture of themselves and eliminate criticism is particularly dangerous.

No government can be trusted to run a business, best that they are sold off, in a transparent manner.

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Rty/April 18, 2017

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These bunch of idiot St hat we have put in the parliament will
Do anything to stay in power. Look at how they are spending our money on cars and foreign trips

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Anton Perera/April 18, 2017

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Give Lake House back to Mr. Ranjith Wijeywardene who has the ability and experience in running a Newspaper group of this size.
Anton Perera
Toronto, Canada

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Sirasa owl/April 18, 2017

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Good idea, but I don’t thin he will want to run it as a state owned entity. He would prefer to be the owner once again. Alternatively get ANCL geared for a public offering with the majority control and management based on expressions of interest.

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Take That/April 18, 2017

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I can’t comment on the ANCL – Sinhala newspapers, but the Daily News is much much better now than what it used to be under the Rajapakse regime. There are critical opinions now unlike the MR days.

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SY/April 18, 2017

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This is an excellent move by the President in the New Year.Get rid of all rogues in SOEs as an urgent matter. All institutions under the Rural Economic Affairs an important Ministry in the country must be cleaned first.It messed up the Rice to go high in prices and the local Milk industry as local state manufactured Dairy products are scared to find in this New Year period.

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